The Sentinel along with local officials, organization partners and community called a press conference to get geared up for the Community Clean up taking place Saturday, March 29.

On Thursday, March 27, the Sentinel held a press conference inviting media, local officials and community in support of the Community Clean Up taking place on Saturday, March 29 at the Sentinel from 9:00am-3:00pm.

Many of the partners and representatives were present such as Supervisor Mark Ridley Thomas, Council President Herb Wesson, Mothers In Action, Department of Sanitation, Copy City, Crenshaw Chamber of Commerce, Public Works, Empowerment Congress West Area and the Neighborhood Development Council and residents of the Good Shepard Manor. Danny J. Bakewell, Sr. chairman and executive Publisher took the time to address the need for the clean-up and to thank everyone for their support of the endeavor.

“First of all, let me thank all of you for coming,” said Bakewell. “This is one of those occasions where we’re doing something in our community that is very necessary.

“A community clean-up is something that we all need—many of us don’t know we need it until we start looking and rummaging through our homes and find out all of the things we need to discard that has been there for far too long.

This is an opportunity for us to be able to do that.”

“Suffice it to say, Spring is in the air, the days are longer, the sun is brighter—so the order of the day is Spring Cleaning,” said Ridley-Thomas. “In the old days we knew that meant getting on hands and knees and giving every corner of the house a good scrub.

“We’ve come a long way since then but it is still time for Spring Cleaning. Instead of cold dust and kerosene, we have outdated technology, modern-day solvents…and we just can’t keep them around, we have to discard but we have to discard those things properly.”

“This event is a phenomenal event and they’ve been successful throughout the city of Los Angeles,” said Wesson. “It’s really time for us, as a people, to move in the 21st century and we need to know these things.

We will not be here forever, we are caretakers on this Earth and we have a responsibility to those that follow us. So I want to thank everyone who is involved in this event and reinforce how important it is that we do this.”

“I’m here to say that we really appreciate the opportunity to be a part of this kind of event,” said Edward Evans, general sales manager at KJLH. “As you know, KJLH is the last of Black-owned radio stations west of the Mississippi.

“For us to be a part of this community for 45 years and do these kinds of things—that’s what we’re all about.”

“We’re really happy to be a part of this and a partner with everyone that is involved,” said David Winston, chair of the Neighborhood Development Council. “Whenever there is something going on in the community, feel free to reach out to the Neighborhood Council.”

There are some materials that will not be accepted at the event such as: business waste, ammunition, explosives, radioactive material, biological waste or tires, refrigerators, washing machines/ dryers, conventional ovens, paper or computer software.

For more information, call (323) 299-3800 or email Brenda Marsh Mitchell at brenda@lasentinel.net